


Panorama

by inviernos



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Slice of Life, Swearing, Tags will be updated as we go along, but really this is all about Gladio
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-04 09:30:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11552352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inviernos/pseuds/inviernos
Summary: Gladio decides to retrace the steps of the journey they all took years ago while on his upcoming mandatory vacation.  But this time he wants to document the sights properly for himself.  With some pointers from a friend and camera in hand, he sets off on a solo tour of Lucis where he meets up with old friends along the way and begins to see things through a different lens.





	1. Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio talks things over with Aranea and realizes just how important this trip could be to him.

Gladiolus glanced up at the reflection of the tv in the mirror of his gym for about the tenth time during his set.  Shoulder presses were nothing, well, usually they were nothing to him.  He always challenged himself only as much as to not hurt himself, but he was tired.  At this point he was more or less running on autopilot and working through momentum.  It wasn’t a very good workout and he knew it. 

His actual work load had been a lot heavier over the last couple of months, and it was starting to take a toll on him in more ways than one.  Thank goodness for their mandatory vacation time.  It wasn’t that he didn’t like what he did.  It was literally in his blood; it was his job to protect the Prince and now the Prince’s expanding family.  But he knew that no matter how much one enjoyed or took pride in their work, everyone needed a break every once in a while.  And this vacation had been a long time in the making. 

Coming back with a fresh pair of eyes could only serve to help him in the long run.

“Well look who it is.”  The voice he heard every day he spent at the gym filled his ears.

He turned just in time to see a flash of red fabric and there was Aranea headed for the rack of dumbbells in front of them.

“Hey, it’s my favorite coworker,” he managed to say through grunts.  He knew he must’ve sounded sarcastic, but he truly was glad to see her. 

“Pfft.”  Aranea picked up her weights and sat on the bench next to Gladio, starting with shoulder presses of her own. 

“And you’re my favorite King’s Shield,” she smiled over at him, crinkling her nose for extra effect. “…I guess.”

They didn’t work in the same area of the Citadel and had only been formally introduced once before becoming friends.  Aranea worked alongside Cor, training the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard recruits.  While Gladio still spent most of his time at Noctis’ side as he continued to prepare to eventually take the throne.  But Gladio had noticed her familiar face around the gym more than a few times, and after more than a couple of races trying to beat each other to the same machine, they had really hit it off.  Over time their awkward conversation while working out at adjacent machines had grown into a nice banter about work and whatever else they wanted to talk about. 

Eventually the friendship found its way out of the gym as well.  She was the only person Gladio could convince to accompany him on the longer hikes he usually went on every other weekend which was a major plus. 

He had found a good friend in Aranea and he hoped she could say the same of him.

“You got that thing again soon, don’t you?” she asked.

“Yup,” said Gladio.

Gladio glanced up at the reflection of the news in the tv again to try and check the time.  He gave up, unable to reverse the numbers in his mind and work out at the same time, and picked up his phone. 

He was really looking forward to meeting Prompto in front of the Citadel.  This would be one of their last few photography lessons together before Gladio set off on his vacation.  He’d always kind of wanted to learn how to take better pictures, but neither of their schedules had matched up very well in the last couple of years.  But with the big trip coming up, he decided it was finally time to ask his friend for a few pointers.  Luckily, Prompto seemed to have more free time from his many social media jobs for the Kingdom and it had been easier for Gladio to meet him after his gym sessions lately.

“I miss Prompto,” Aranea said with a pout.  “Haven’t seen that kid in forever.”

Gladio laughed.  “Well you could like…text him, you know?  The guy would love to hear from you.”

“Ha…yeah, I guess I could.  But he keeps texting me asking to hang out and then I do the thing where I think I replied and then I look at my phone a few days later and I didn’t and I’m just too embarrassed to answer him.”

Somewhere between trying to focus on his workout and Aranea speaking too fast, he almost didn’t understand her.

“I’m probably even worse than you at texting back.  I really don’t think he’d mind,” said Gladio.

“I hope so,” she said.

“So how’s training going?”

“Ha, those little shits…They complain so much.  Like they realize what they’re training for, right?  To protect the kingdom?  Did you ever complain this much?  _And_ Cor is too soft on them…”  Aranea went on.

Gladio could only laugh.  He hoped he never complained as much as she was saying the new trainees did.  But part of him knew Aranea took no shit from anyone, and any amount of complaining was too much complaining for her.

He was suddenly very glad that she wasn’t training him or else she might have something to say about his bad form.

“Did I ever mention how glad I am that you work for us now?”  He tried not to sound sarcastic, but they both knew it was the truth, anyway. 

“Well,” she began and Gladio saw her smile in the mirror, “after that last hit they took, I was running out of things to do for the Empire…I guess I like working for you guys a lot better too.”

She took a break to wipe her towel across her forehead and take a sip of water.

“I’m just glad things are the way they are now,” she turned to look at him.  “I hope it lasts.”

Gladio nodded back at her, not wanting to dwell too much on something potentially troubling right before his big trip.  Saying that it was nice to be able to live comfortably again without fear or threat was an understatement, but deep down everyone knew that these statements were usually followed by a “for now.”

Agreements and ceasefires were all for the best, everyone could agree on that.  But they were only good as long as they actually lasted.  Nevertheless, everyone was always hopeful for a more permanent agreement.  The treaty decreeing Prince Noctis to be married to Lady Lunafreya about five years ago had been the first of a few bigger steps here or there.  Things had definitely improved, but with the unpredictable Empire no one knew how much longer they would need to wait before they could finally breathe all the way out.

“But anyway, enough of that depressing shit,” said Aranea.

“Hmm?”

“You’re gonna be proud of me,” she said smugly.

“What’d you do?” Gladio asked, amused.

“You’re leaving early so…I asked someone to meet me here in a little bit.  Guess who it is.”

“Who?”  Gladio smiled to himself; he was one hundred percent sure he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it so he could rub it in even more.

“Come on, big guy…you know…Specs!...Ignis…”  It took her a while to say his name, which Gladio was sure she would blame on her dumbbells.

“You finally talked to him?  All by yourself?” he asked making sure to sound as amazed as possible.

“I _am_ proud of you.  Took you so long for a second I thought I was gonna have to put in a word for you.” 

Gladio was suddenly glad that she knew better than to throw any gym equipment at him.

“Shut up!  I handled it,” she said immediately.  “It just took longer than expected.”

“But…yeah,” she continued to trip over her words talking about him.  “I um…he was actually brought in as a special instructor the other week…to talk about polearms and daggers and stuff cause y’know, he’s just so goddamn good at it.  But afterwards we got to talking and flattery works cause he agreed to come meet me here and then…later we’re gonna go get coffee.”

“Aww.  I’m sad I won’t get to stick around for the date.  You got this though, he’s gonna love you,” Gladio smiled at her in the reflection of the mirror.

“Hey, we’re just hanging out here.  Who said anything about love anyway?” said Aranea.

“Maybe I’m just trying to get him out of that uniform…” she added.

Gladio couldn’t help snorting and had to put his weights down from how hard he started laughing.  He put his hand out towards Aranea and waited for her to high-five him back.

“You’re too much,” he shook his head as he picked the weights back up.

“Hey now, you knew that before we were friends,” she smirked at him in the mirror.

He had known about Aranea’s crush for a while and decided he wouldn’t meddle.  As much as he wanted to help a friend out, he knew Aranea was a grown woman and she could figure it out herself.  But he was glad that she had finally done something about it.  He would be happy seeing them _both_ happy.

Gladio took another break to check his phone and noticed more time had passed than he thought.  He had lost track of his reps long ago anyway. 

He _really_ needed this vacation.

“Hey, say hi to Ignis for me, huh?” he said to Aranea as he stood up to carefully place his dumbbells back on the rack.

“You’re going already?”  Gladio could’ve sworn Aranea almost sounded sad.

“Ha!” Gladio laughed loudly.  “Once Iggy gets here I’m sure you’ll forget all about me.”

“I mean… you aren’t wrong.”  She shrugged as best she could with a dumbbell in each hand. 

“Exactly.”  Gladio nodded, not even offended by her bluntness.

Gladio took a brief moment to stretch out his arms and shoulders.  It wasn’t enough; nowhere near as thorough as his usual post workout stretch, but it was better than nothing.  He took his hair out of the ponytail it had been in, just to place it back into the same style on his head.

“See ya tomorrow, Aranea.”

“Later Gladio,” she replied.

“Good luck,” he almost sang and winked at her before gathering his things.

He headed off to the locker room.  Even if he hadn’t felt like he had sweat that much, Prompto wouldn’t appreciate him showing up smelling like anything other than soap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first off, thanks so much if you read up to this point.  
> I usually like to completely finish things before I post them, but I already had this much done so I figured why not lol. This is my first attempt at an ongoing chaptered fic. I'm striving for weekly updates so we'll see how it goes.  
> Anyways, I always felt like if they had met properly in the game at least, Gladio and Aranea would have been best friends and I am willing to die on this hill.


	2. Highlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio meets Prompto for one of their final photography lessons.

“Hey, big guy!”  Prompto stood up off the fence he had been leaning against and waved his hand for Gladio to see.

Gladio had already recognized him by his hair alone, and made his way carefully through the crowd of people making their way down the sidewalk.  The streets were their busiest once people got off of work and never really diminished until the next afternoon.

“’Sup?”

“So,” Prompto tried his best at an imposing voice, hands on his hips for complete effect, “hand in your homework.”

He waited with his hands out as Gladio dug for both his phone and his camera in his gym bag.

“Oh yeah, that’s _real_ smart,” Prompto remarked.

“I keep telling you to get an actual case for that thing.  It’s in your gym bag with your gross clothes and getting knocked against god knows what…What are you gonna do when you’re out there in the wilderness?”

“Yeah, I know.”  Gladio continued to dig through his bag.

Prompto was right though.  He hoped his camera hadn’t sunken to the bottom of the bag again because it would look like he wasn’t being careful with it and Prompto would nag at him some more, but of course that was right where he found it.

Iris had sent the camera over from Lestallum for his birthday a month ago.  At first he had no idea if he would ever get around to using it, he really wasn’t one for gadgets or anything more technologically advanced other than his cellphone and laptop.   But as his mandatory vacation time was coming up, and he planned out exactly where he wanted to go, he realized it had been the perfect gift. 

Prompto told him a while back he didn’t care whether the pictures were taken with the proper camera or his phone; people could take amazing pictures with their phones these days.  But he already more or less knew how to use the settings on his phone camera.  He wanted to learn how to use this camera outside of the automatic settings so he could document his trip properly.  If he knew how the settings worked, and what to do with them, then the pictures would be _his_.  Of course he knew how to take a basic picture, a memento, a selfie here or there, but this trip was special.  And there would be a lot of beautiful scenery that he wanted to capture properly. 

He wanted to take the kinds of pictures he remembered Prompto taking all those years back, and there was no better person to teach him how to do that than the man himself. 

He had started to become enough like him anyway, carrying the camera around everywhere.

Gladio tried not to look too guilty as he brought the camera out of his bag and turned it on.  He flipped back a few pictures to what Prompto had asked him to try and take pictures of. 

“I hope these are alright…” Gladio trailed off. 

He was just barely starting to get used to feeling self-conscious every time he handed his camera over.  He knew he was there to learn, but it was hard to not feel inferior when Prompto’s ability had rightfully gotten him where he was today.

But Prompto never stopped being the ever supportive friend he had always been.  Even if Gladio had kind of hated whatever Prompto asked him to photograph the week before, he was always sure to mention what he liked about the photo before showing Gladio something that could be improved on.

“Interesting…” Gladio looked over his shoulder as Prompto stared intently at one of the pictures he had taken on one of his last hikes.

“Is that a good ‘interesting’?” Gladio raised an eyebrow.

“I guess you’ll see.”

Prompto started walking in the direction of the café they frequented so that they could get to looking at the pictures on a bigger screen. 

Prompto had given Gladio a very basic overview of photo editing.  And he had been at least trying over the last couple of weeks, but it definitely wasn’t his favorite part of the process.  But thankfully, Prompto more or less understood.  Prompto definitely knew how to get colors to pop with software, and how to edit a picture for an ad or announcement, but Prompto had always been more interested in what was catching Gladio’s eye.  What the picture _could_ look like was secondary to him.

“Woah.”

Prompto made an impressed noise among the hustle and bustle of the cafe when the picture Gladio had liked the most appeared on the laptop screen.

“Good eye, man.”  Prompto patted Gladio on his shoulder.

He had taken this particular photo on one of his last hiking trips with Aranea.  They went a little further out of the kingdom than they usually did and stumbled upon an old forest they hadn’t heard of or seen before.

They had been taking a break on some rocks near an old stone bridge that ran across a river.  The water that day rushed on past them, causing water spray and errant drops of water to come down all around them.  And just up the stream they could see a waterfall.  It wasn’t the biggest waterfall he had ever seen, but it was still large enough to make for a good photo op.

He could still hear Aranea making fun of him for seeming more concerned with taking pictures than enjoying the outdoors. 

He had walked a little way back from their resting spot so he could be sure to get the waterfall in the background.  And that made the foundation for this picture.  On either side of the waterfall was sheer grey cliff face, jagged rock jutted out in random areas.  And just above the waterfall in the distance you could almost make out a smattering of tall green trees in the background.  A moment frozen in time; water flowed rapidly down the front of the rock, leading into a river.  On the left side of the river were more jagged rocks, but on a smoother group of rocks at the bottom there sat Aranea, mostly with her back facing the camera, but her head turned thoughtfully towards the waterfall.  A singular wide sun ray seemed to shine down only on her.

“The waterfall as the focal point is a really nice touch dude!  And then having Aranea in the foreground adds more depth,” said Prompto enthusiastically.

“Aranea,” Prompto said wistfully.  “I miss that girl.”

“Well, she said to tell you hi earlier.”

“She did?”  Prompto sounded more surprised than Gladio expected him to be.  Apparently Aranea really was that bad at texting him back.

“You should text her…”  Gladio suddenly hesitated.  “Maybe just not tonight though.”

“Eh?” Prompto questioned.

“Long story,” he said.

Thankfully Prompto shrugged; accepting his response and moved on to his critique.

“The only thing I would say is the picture could stand to be a little brighter…and the spray from the water is kinda muddled in some areas, but that’s more on Mother Nature than you, big guy.”

They both laughed.

“Hey man,” Gladio began, fighting through the shyness coming through his voice.

He lifted his arms up to take his hair out of the ponytail it had been in, momentarily ran his fingers through his now longer hair, and placed the top layer back into the elastic band again; a new nervous habit he had developed since growing his hair out.

He knew he shouldn’t have had any problems at all saying this to Prompto.  He’d said it before at the beginning of their lessons, but he felt like his message had been rushed or just hadn’t been clear.  He just wanted to make sure that Prompto knew how thankful he was for doing this for him.

“I really…appreciate you helping me out with this stuff.  I know we haven’t seen each other a ton lately with work and all, but…thanks for making time for me.”

“Don’t even mention it!”  Prompto brought a hand up to clasp Gladio’s shoulder.  “You’re one of my best friends.  Why wouldn’t I help you out with this?”

He gave Gladio an excited shake.  Well, as much as he could physically manage to move the man.

“You’d do the same for any of us,” said Prompto.

Gladio nodded, a small smile on his face.

“I’ll come see you when I’m finally ready to give up running outdoors for the gym,” Prompto joked.

“Yeah, I won’t hold my breath.”  Gladio laughed.

Prompto clicked to the next picture in the series and Gladio’s laugh had gone.  He was suddenly worried Prompto would mention how gloomy this picture was.  Gladio was well aware that photography, in the bigger scheme, art, was supposed to elicit certain emotions and this particular picture made him feel sad.  But it was a good kind of sad, like the certain kind of melancholy one might feel looking out the window on a rainy day. 

“Ohhh, now that’s moody,” Prompto said in a tone in direct contrast to the picture.

Even though Prompto said he wanted to see things as they were, Gladio had decided to edit the picture to black and white to add to the overall feeling of it.  It had just felt right to him.  The picture had been taken at night a few days ago.  It had rained off and on while Gladio was out having dinner with friends.  The sidewalk directly outside of this restaurant was strangely empty, save for one couple sharing an umbrella they didn’t need walking past everyone; the roads were wet and reflecting the multi-colored light of the signs above them.

Gladio took several steps away from his friends, telling them he would catch up soon.  He had had reservations about photographing people he didn’t know, but he figured as long as their faces weren’t in the shot it was fine.  Prompto would really be the only person to see it and they were mostly covered by the umbrella, anyway.

And now here he was with Prompto looking at the scene in black and white once again.  He stared at the lights from an oncoming car that were obscured by a slight fog in the night air.  There was a row of streetlamps along the right side of the picture where the couple walked.  A few lamps in the middle had gone out.  The streetlamps led his eye to an out of focus older building in the back that only had a few lights on in the windows.

It was just this couple alone on the sidewalk in black and white, holding hands, sharing an umbrella and a moment on this misty night among the wet pavement.

“Good call on the greyscale,” Prompto remarked.

“I actually don’t think I have anything bad to say about this one.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Gladio nodded.

Somewhere deep down Gladio felt like Prompto was excited enough about him taking an interest in photography that he “liked” almost everything he had shown him up to this point, but lately he had felt like he was actually improving.  He was starting to notice more and more of the little things in his everyday life.  Things like Noctis glaring at him from across the main table in one of the conference rooms.  Or a tiny purple flower on his walk home in the rain.  Or even just the architecture of the Citadel that he now felt like he never bothered to admire before.  All of these things were important parts of his life that he could now begin to see the beauty in.  Just as Prompto had always seen the world and just like he had done on their journey years ago; there were things that he felt he should immortalize. 

“That’s a cool light,” said Prompto as he switched to the next picture.

“Oh yeah,” said Gladio.  “They’re redecorating the reception area in the Citadel and set out a ton of them.  They kinda caught my eye, I guess.”

Gladio had been worried (but not really) that Prompto would think this picture was boring.  But it was an interesting light.  It was aesthetically pleasing to him, even pretty.  He would describe it as a lamp but without a shade.  A single classic style bulb screwed into a gold ornate base, but inside the bulb were many tiny lights along a wire running through the empty space.  He had seen string lights hung up on walls before, but never thought to or saw them placed inside something else. 

Something about the light was cozy to him.  And maybe if he remembered when he got back, he would find out where to buy one for his own apartment.

The lights were placed along a plain black wall in the Citadel, and thankfully spaced far enough apart that Gladio could get a shot of just one.  This picture though, had been taken with his phone so as to not have to fumble around with the bigger camera and attract any more stares from the other employees.

The soft light illuminated the black backdrop and Gladio suddenly thought of how interesting it might look if later on he edited the smaller lights to move around or at least flash, to give it the actual appearance of tiny fairies flying around.

“You don’t think a picture of just a light is boring?”  Gladio asked.

“Nah, dude.  Really it doesn’t matter what I think, anyway.  You take pictures of whatever you find interesting.  That’s the whole point.”

“I know, but…”

“It all boils down to this…who cares, dude?  I just ask you to shoot certain things so you can have practice focusing on different things.  Do you always take pictures of exactly what I ask?”  Prompto turned to look at him.

“Well, no,” Gladio shrugged.

“Right, I’m just giving you an outline to fill in.  You took a picture of a light and made it interesting, but of course that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.  But you like it, so that’s all that matters.”

“Yeah…you’re right,” Gladio nodded.

The pictures he was going to be taking on this trip were for himself at the end of the day, he just wanted them to look their best.  But as long as he was happy with them, that was all that mattered.

“I _am_ right.”  Prompto agreed, crossing his arms in front of himself and nodding in a self-assured manner.

“Hey!” he yelled as Gladio gently smacked his shoulder.

“You got any more advice for me, professor?”  Gladio asked, only half joking.

“You know, you might be ready,” said Prompto.

“Ya think so?”  Gladio asked, just a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

“Well, I keep telling you a lot stuff can be fixed once you get the pictures onto a computer.  And even then, some things don’t need any touching up at all.  In your case, Mother Nature will mostly do all the work for you.  You’ll just help once you actually get to edit them.”

“You’re staying at some hotels along the way right?”  Prompto asked, suddenly looking worried.

“Yeah, why?”

“You gotta send me some of the pics!  We haven’t seen too much of the rest of Eos lately.  It’d be nice to see how things have changed.  Oh and just make sure you bring enough extra batteries,” said Prompto.

“Already bought and charged ‘em.”  Gladio reassured him.

“A King’s shield is always prepared.”  Prompto brought his fist up and waited for Gladio to meet it with his own hand.

“Hey Prompto?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks man.”

“Any time, big guy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks so much if you read up until this point.  
> Next up we finally hit the road


	3. Vast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio finally gets going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is kinda long, but I had a lot of things I wanted to touch on :3

The first day of Gladio’s vacation had snuck up on him much faster than he expected.  Since his last meeting with Prompto work had more or less zoomed by.  Maybe it was because of his upcoming vacation and the knowledge that he would soon get a break, but he had also felt himself cheering up a bit. 

Though against his better judgment, he had gone out with a few of the other Crownsguard members the night before he was to leave.  It wasn’t so much the alcohol, but the fact that he had planned to wake up pretty early the next day. 

And of course, his plans of getting at least four hours of sleep were dashed as he woke to the sound of his phone buzzing on the nightstand next to his bed. 

Gladio flipped over to face the source of the noise, his hands reaching up to rub the sleep out of his eyes.  Light glimmered across the still dark sky.  The city that never sleeps lived up to its name as flashing lights of all colors shone into his room.  He almost had to remind himself that he wasn’t dreaming, that the colors weren’t just leftover figments from his subconscious.

“Dammit,” he groaned, realizing he had forgotten to close the curtains in the new apartment again.   It did make for a nice view, but only when he was actually intending on looking out the window.  It was even more bothersome that it hadn’t been the first time it had happened.

His phone immediately stopped buzzing and then began again, immediately catching his attention.  He had no idea what time it was, but if it hadn’t been his alarm, he wondered who dared to call him when it was this dark out.

Gladio finally sat up and grabbed his phone.  He felt a little guilty as “dad” showed on the screen.  But the screen also told him it was five-thirty.  Exactly thirty minutes before his alarm.

“Hello.”  He mumbled, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

“Good morning, son!”  His father was always too happy for how early it was.

“Have you gone yet?”

“Didn’t plan on leaving for about another hour, dad.” 

Gladio continued to mumble as he tried to wake himself up.

“Ah, did I wake you, son?”

“No dad,” he answered, stifling another yawn.  He knew that his father knew, but he wasn’t going to get annoyed with him for it.  Gladio could sleep when he got there.

“Well good.”  He could hear his father’s knowing smile through the phone.

“I just wanted to say goodbye before you left us.  And remind you to bring the sunscreen.  Make sure to give Iris a hug for me when you see her.”

“I will, dad.”

“Good,” said Clarus.

“I’ve got a meeting to get ready for.  Be sure to call us when you get there Gladiolus.”

“Of course, dad.”

“Bye son.”

“Goodbye, dad.”

Gladio moved the phone away from his ear and waited for his dad to hang up before he put it back down.  He waited for what felt like forever, and the clock continued to count the call time.

“Am I still here?  Hello?”

He heard his father’s faint voice ask.

“Push the red button, dad.”  Gladio put the phone back to his ear.

“Hello?”  He continued to hear his father ask.

 “Dad, the red button.”

Gladio was now actively snorting from fighting his laughter.

“Hello?”

“I’ll hang up dad, it’s fine.  I’ll call you when I get there.”

“Drive safe, Gladio.”

“I will.  Bye.”

Gladio made sure he had hung up completely before he could laugh quietly to himself. 

His father could surely keep his King out of certain danger, but still had trouble using newer model phone.

*

“It’ll be fine.”  Gladio groaned as he walked down one of the many long corridors of the Citadel, Noctis following close behind.

“Just making sure.  You know, if you want we can advance your paycheck too?  Just in case.”

“Ha!  The new apartment didn’t clean me out as much as you think, Noct.”  He chuckled.

Gladio shook his head again, half amused at how insistent Noctis was, half annoyed that Noctis thought he was going to somehow blow all of his money somewhere on this trip.  He had only stopped by to let Noctis and everyone else know he was going in person, but instead he was getting cornered about money and what he had packed and everything else Noctis could think to ask him about.

“I know.  Just wanna make sure you’re prepared, dude,” said Noctis.

“When am I not?”  Gladio turned his head to look at Noctis.

Noctis opened his mouth to answer, and his lips quickly formed a smirk as soon as Gladio started to speak.

“Don’t you even.”  Gladio brought his hand up, his index finger pointed accusingly in Noct’s direction.

He did appreciate the concern.  If the roles had been reversed he would have been just as persistent in making sure everything was accounted for, but Gladio had been planning this trip for a while now.  He’d been saving for what felt like forever.  The important tickets had already been purchased and most of his sleeping arrangements had been settled long ago.

They finally made their way to the elevator that would take Gladio down to the parking garage.  He hesitated for a bit just, just to humor Noctis in case he had something else to tell him.

“Are you sure you’ve got everything?”  Noctis asked again.

“I checked and triple checked everything,” said Gladio.

“And what about me?”  Noctis asked.

Gladio raised an eyebrow before Noctis continued.

“Aren’t you forgetting to give me the third degree about not doing anything dumb while you’re gone?”  Noctis smirked as he folded his arms in front of himself.

“Well one, Iggy will be here, so I’m not too worried…” Gladio snorted.  “And plus…”

“What?” Noctis asked, curiously.

“You’ve grown up these last couple of years.”  Gladio paused to make sure Noctis was really listening to him. 

“Like, really grown up.  Maybe it’s all the new responsibility you’ve taken on, but you don’t need me to yell at you nearly as much anymore, Noct.”  He shrugged, resisting the urge to take his hair down like he always did whenever he was a little uncomfortable.

Noctis turned his head away, him and Gladio looking in opposite directions for a few moments.  It had become much less difficult to tell Noctis what he was thinking, and especially in a more constructive manner, over the years.  Little by little, the wall went down and Gladiolus learned to better manage his emotions.  Eventually they would get there, but it was still somewhat awkward for him to open up like this.

Noctis turned back to face him eventually with a small smile on his face, before he nodded in what Gladio knew was thanks.

“Hey man, if there’s anything I wanna yell at you for, it’s you nagging at me about this trip,” Gladio smiled trying to lighten the atmosphere again.

“You sure you got everything?”  Noctis asked again just to spite him.

“If you ask me one more time and make me paranoid I’m gonna…”  Gladio shook his head one last time, deciding it was finally time for him to hit the road if he wanted to make all of his stops on time.

“Tell Luna and them I said bye,” said Gladio as he reached his arm around Noctis’s shoulders, pulling him into a quick side-hug.

He pressed the down button on the elevator and waited for the doors to open.

“Text us when you get there, okay?” said Noctis.

“Of course.  I’ll see ‘ya.”

Gladio gave his friend a small salute with his right hand as the elevator doors closed.

*

Gladio was glad that he made it a point to leave when people were already at work.  The drive through the city was as quick and uneventful as it should have been with no wait to get outside the border.

As he drove away he made sure to adjust his rearview mirror so he could get one last look at the city, it’d be the last time he’d be seeing it for a while.  He watched building upon building and billboard after billboard get smaller in the reflection of the mirror.

It was time to focus his attention ahead and put the top of his black convertible down.  Gladio took the top layer of his hair out of his ponytail once again and let the wind properly blow through his hair and all around him.  The air was already a lot drier just outside the border than what he was used to in Insomnia.  He almost had forgotten that it was the middle of May, but the air that was hot as all hell canceled out the air conditioning in the car and immediately reminded him.

But Gladio didn’t care.  For the first time in a while he felt like he could be completely at ease.  He turned the radio up, a synth driven tune he remembered his dad liking from his childhood that he didn’t remember the name of played on the radio. 

The car accelerated with the song.  His stress from work already left behind the yellow and green painted checkpoint as the car drove on.  He put his sunglasses on to shield his eyes from the desert sun that had already made itself well known, and was finally able to take in the landscape that surrounded him.  The last bit of green reaching out from Insomnia soon gave way to vast expanses of flat, sandy land.  He glanced to his left and right; memories of their journey from years ago flashing through his mind. 

He continued to drive along simply enjoying the music for a few more moments.  He turned again to the left; there right before a cliff just a few minutes outside of the city, he spotted the familiar white trails resembling smoke reaching towards the sky.  If he blinked he would have missed it.

Back then, they had always forgotten there was a haven so close to the border.  And all those years ago when they had finished their tour of Lucis, they had camped here on their last night before they officially headed to Galdin Quay.  Of course there were closer motels or havens they could stay at, but Noctis had wanted to see the lights of the Insomnia one last time before they set off.

This seemed like the perfect first picture to hopefully set the tone for the trip.

Gladio parked the car, leaning over to the passenger’s seat to grab his camera in its brand new case and set out for the haven.

There was no more avoiding the heat once he left the comfort of the car.  Dry heat was the worst.  Humidity had its own evil about it, but it was almost like he couldn’t breathe in this dry air.  It was cooler here than Hammerhead because they were close to Insomnia, where they actually had seasons, but it was still too hot.  He had to have only been walking for a minute or two.  It would be worse for him if he tried to speed up; and maybe it was just a trick of the heat, but it felt like he was miles and miles away from the haven.  He was just glad that he had been smart enough to not get leather seats as the car salesman had so fervently suggested.

He couldn’t have been walking longer than ten minutes at the most, and the heat made it feel like at least thirty but at last he finally reached the haven.  He had learned to not let the weather get to him for the sake of Noctis, but he had to wonder how they managed to stay here overnight all those years back.  Especially with a campfire going.

But this was the spot.  He stood in the exact center of the haven where the campfire would have been.  Gladiolus took a moment to reflect on conversations from the past, the little arguments they had had along the way, and upon a trip that had ultimately brought them all a lot closer.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and brought the collar of his black t-shirt up to wipe his nose.  It was too hot to stand around and reminisce, but the desert did have its own charm.

He couldn’t help but snap a photo of what he could see of the border with his phone.  The green and yellow of the checkpoint stuck straight out against the buildings of Insomnia in the far background and the surrounding grey barriers.  It was more of a memento, and he quickly texted it to the rest of the guys in the group chat along with a message of “guess where I’m standing.”  But he wanted something more aesthetically pleasing for the haven.

Gladio didn’t want to get the remains of the Empire base behind the haven in the shot.  He walked back down to the lower area so that he was looking at the side of the haven with runes on it.  He looked through the viewfinder of his camera but found it to be too bright; after taking a second to adjust some of the settings, he looked again through his camera and up again at the scene in front of him in real life.

He walked back some feet until he could angle enough of the Empire remnants out of his shot.  He looked through the viewfinder a final time and accessed what was in front of him.  The greater part of the side of the haven took up most of the frame, with the runes that shone white during the day visible along the rock.  The sloped path of rock leading up to the flat resting area of the haven was right before it, and on the ground in front was dried grass and several bunches of small yellow flowers scattered around.  Satisfied, he took his picture.

But this was about all Gladio could take of being in the hot desert air with no relief.  It was time to finally head on to Hammerhead.

The road winded along the way as he passed more of the mostly flat, dry land.  There was a small dust storm as he drove along past the billboards that didn’t seem to have been changed since the last time they had driven through.  There was a small herd of mesminirs grazing on the left side of the road and he wondered if they were the same family they had seen around these parts years ago, or at least related. 

But then there it was right around the corner, the one sight no one could miss; the shark that could have almost been flying in the air.

The Hammerhead station sign in all its weathered glory, exactly the same as the last time he had seen it 5 years ago. 

This was his first stop.

Gladio felt a pang of nostalgia driving into the station, stopping the car at the gas pump.  It had been the starting point of a great trip all those years back and he hoped it would mean the same for him now. 

He hadn’t yet decided if he was staying the night out here, honestly the drive from the border to Hammerhead was only about half an hour and it was still fairly early.  The first thing on his mind was to take a picture of the sign to send to everyone in the group chat, but Gladio didn’t have much time to ponder that for now as he heard a familiar voice call to him from behind.

“Cindy!”

The younger blonde woman looked like she hadn’t aged a day since the last time he had seen her.  She wore essentially the same outfit as when they had last been through, save for a few new patches on her yellow jacket.  But the characteristic smudges of grease on her face and baseball cap with studs remained.

“It _is_ who I thought it was!” she walked up and gently patted him on the back of the shoulder.  “Nice hair.”

Cindy smiled at him in such a way that he couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not, but he would take it as a compliment.

“Well, what brings you out this way?” asked Cindy.

“I’m on vacation,” Gladio said with a smile on his face.  “I’m driving around Lucis by myself for once.  Wanted to see how everything’s changed, you know?”

“Sounds real nice,” said Cindy, her eyes immediately looking past him to his car.

“And who’s this?”

Gladio let out a small chuckle, he was actually surprised that she hadn’t commented on it sooner.

“Well, I know it’s not as nice as the Regalia, but it’s got its own charm,” he said.

“Oh she’s a beaut, though.  But are black convertibles all y’all got up there in Insomnia?” she joked.

Gladio laughed.  It _was_ kind of an unspoken rule that everyone working for the kingdom had a black car.  But he had always liked convertibles, and thanks to riding around in the Regalia for an extended period of time through his adult life, he decided that when it was time for him to buy his own car it would be a convertible.

“Are you just passing through?  Make sure you say hi to Cid before you go!  He’d love to see you!” she added, too enthused for his liking.

It wasn’t that Gladio didn’t like Cid, he did.  And he definitely knew how to be respectful to his elders and people who outranked him.  And it wasn’t like he couldn’t take it, but the old man could be very brash.

“Yeah, I’ll…go do that.” He nodded.  “I’ll be back out in a sec.”

It would be best to get this over with at the top of the visit.  And then he would be back to safety talking to Cindy and eventually go see Takka.  He was starting to get hungry anyway.

“He’s sitting in the garage!”

The garage had never seemed so imposing.  Before Noctis had been the one to shoulder the brunt of Cid’s words, but now he was alone and not quite sure if the old man even recognized him and if he didn’t, what would he even say?

“Uh hi,” Gladio spoke carefully, making sure to announce himself just in case Cid had been in the middle of something.

“I don’t know if you remember me, but I was-“

“The King’s Shield, huh?  Where’s the boy at, then?” Cid asked abruptly.

“Uh, he’s still back in Insomnia,” Gladio answered. 

“I-, I’m on vacation.”  He had never had this much trouble talking to someone before.  “Just passing through and wanted to say hi.”

He was glad he had at least gotten that much out before Cid interrupted him again.

“Hmm, so how’s he doing?”  Cid asked.

“Noctis?  He’s doing alright.  He’s learning…growing into his duties as the next in line for the throne very wel-.”

“Good,” Cid interrupted.

“That reminds me…” Cid sounded pensive.  “Forgot to send this over with our wedding gift a while ago and it just _kept_ slippin’ my mind.”

Cid stood up off of his work bench and slowly made his way to one of the storage cabinets in the back.  Gladio briefly considered asking if he wanted him to grab it for him, but knew that Cid would probably take offense.  He peered up at the top shelf, as if remembering where he put the item, until he finally made a small noise and reached to the back of the middle shelf.   He then made his way back over to Gladio with a medium sized black box.

“Would ya mind bringing this back with you?”  Cid asked in the nicest voice Gladio had heard him speak in since he’d entered the garage.

“Of course,” he answered.  Gladio was ready to leave, he almost turned but then remembered it would be in his best interests to say some form of goodbye but Cid interrupted.

“I bet yer curious what’s in there, boy,” Cid said as he sat back down. 

“Cindy went and had copies made of all our pictures from when we saw ol’ Reggie off to get married.  Thought it’d be nice if Noctis could see ‘em too and had ‘em put in that book there.  Don’t know how she kept forgetting to send it up there.”  Cid shook his head.

Even though he hadn’t been the intended recipient, Gladiolus was quite touched by the gift.  He knew Noctis would love it.

“I’ll give this to them as soon as I get back,” he told Cid.  “They’re gonna love it, sir.”

“They better.”  Gladio could have sworn he heard a laugh in Cid’s voice.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me I got some work to do,” he said once again brashly.

“Right…uh, it was nice seeing you again,” said Gladio.

“Mhmm,” said Cid, a long uncomfortable silence followed and Gladio slowly realized Cid was done with the conversation.

He finally breathed out and stepped outside of the garage.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t on the road,” he heard a voice call out to him from the garage.

Gladio smiled to himself as he made his way to the diner.  That was the best he would be getting out of Cid.

*

The diner was technically open twenty-four hours, but there had been a significant lull in customers once the clock passed midnight.  It made for the perfect opportunity for Takka to cook up something he didn’t have on the menu for Gladio, Cindy, Cid, and himself as they all crowded around the counter and reminisced, and in general had a good time.

Gladio was glad that the first couple of days of his vacation weren’t set in stone, that way it was possible for more chances to relax like this.

After a few shared beers and more shared stories from their trip with the King, Cid had definitely warmed up to Gladio.  Though he knew in the back of his mind, Cid might not give the same opportunity to Noctis.  Takka had even given him a recipe or two that he could bring back to Ignis.

And Prompto would surely appreciate the picture he had taken with Cindy earlier in the day sent with the message “look who says hello.”

Gladio hadn’t drunk much, because he had to drive tomorrow.  And that was the reason he finally decided to turn in at two in the morning.

“One last picture though!”  Gladio knew the selfie-stick would come in handy eventually.

Everyone crowded in closer, with Cid to his right and Cindy to his left, Takka popped his head over Gladio’s shoulder from behind the counter.  Everyone with various stages of drunkenness measured by the red of their faces or how open their eyes were, stared in the general direction of his phone.

“Say Hammerhead,” Cid slurred a little.

“HAMMERHEAD!”

Gladio finally got up and stretched.  It was time to head out to the haven.

“You’re not scared?”  Cindy asked.  “C’mon, just stay in the caravan.”

Daemon encounters had been dwindling over the years, but still posed enough of a threat that the general population was still scared to be out at night without enough light.  But it had always been Gladio’s plan to stay at havens whenever it was convenient.  And besides, he could handle himself.  It wasn’t a very long walk to the haven from here, anyway.

“I’ll be fine, I promise,” he reassured her, yawning.

“And either way, I’ve still got my weapons.”

“Just be careful out there, okay?  We’ll watch to make sure you get there in one piece.”

“You don’t need to do that.”  Gladio waved the concern off, but he had to admit it was nice.  And it almost did make him reconsider for a second.  Maybe he was being foolish but he had already planned this.

He stepped out into the slightly cooler night air.  All he had to do was grab the tent and walk the short distance to the haven.  Maybe it was the alcohol, but Cindy’s words had started to make him a little paranoid about walking around alone in the dark.  He really should have been working to keep the recklessness to a minimum since he was by himself, but at the same time felt the need to prove to someone that he could do this.

“Are you _sure_ you don’t want to stay in the caravan?  Hell, we won’t even make you pay.”  Cindy tried one last time.

Gladio really considered it for a second, but declined.

“I really appreciate it Cindy, but you know me,” he shrugged, a smile on his face.

If he had to choose between the caravan and sleeping under the stars, well whenever it was completely up to him, he would always choose the later.

He finally set off for the haven.  It really wasn’t a very long walk, but their questions had started to get to him about halfway along the path.  But at least he was ready, his sword already called upon and slung over his left shoulder, the tent and other supplies held under his right arm. 

There was a sudden scuffle from behind the rocks to his right, he nearly dropped the tent as he readied his sword, but eased his stance as he saw it was just a lone sabertusk.  It stayed still, looking him up and down.  Gladio glanced back to the light of station to see them all; Cindy, Cid, and Takka, keeping a watchful eye.  He tried his best to wave back with his hands full but settled on a nod. 

It then howled as if trying to call upon friends, but Gladio remained still and made himself look as imposing as he could.  He didn’t want to fight anything, but he would if absolutely necessary. 

The backup the sabertusk called for had either failed to show up or Gladio’s idea to make himself look as big as possible had actually worked and it lost interest, eventually scuttling away.  Gladio breathed a sigh of relief, now he could enjoy the walk under the full moon and made the last few feet of the walk to the haven without incident.

Upon reaching the safety of the blue light, he looked back and waved to everyone watching after him under the safety of artificial light.

“Thank you!” he called, hoping they heard.

There were more waves, until everyone slowly filtered back to the direction of the diner.  Gladio breathed out.  It had to be getting close to three in the morning, but he didn’t have to wake up that early.  And now he could enjoy the rest of the night sleeping under the stars.  He almost considered just laying out with his sleeping bag, but with the frequent dust storms that wouldn’t have been the smartest idea.  Thankfully the tent he brought along on his solo hiking trips didn’t take much time to put up.

But he decided he would lie out under the moon and stars for a bit on his sleeping bag and move inside when it was time.  Gladio relaxed on the ground, looking straight up as the world seemed to slow around him.  The sky above him was dark, but the moonlight radiated outward, lighting up what was within its reach.  The bright blue plumes of magic from the haven reached up into the sky, mingling with the dark blue tones of night and sparkling galaxies that shined through the clouds.

The camera shutter clicked as he took the last picture of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And once again thank you so much if you read this far.  
> 


	4. New Colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio ends up exactly where he wants to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the rating for this chapter is actually somewhat of a soft T, and only because of the scene at the exact end. It's nothing graphic or gross or anything, and not anything that I think Gladio stans would be opposed to reading about ,':) lol but if I'm wrong please let me know.  
> And on that note, Happy Friday everyone!

Leaving Hammerhead that morning had been a lot harder than Gladiolus had expected.  He was glad to finally be getting out of the desert weather, but he had such a great time hanging out and chatting with everyone in the diner the night before.  Everyone watching out for him to make sure he made it to the haven alright and just in general taking pretty good care of him even for just a few hours made the goodbyes even harder.

Cindy made him promise to pop back in again when he was on his way back to Insomnia, and it was a promise he couldn’t imagine failing to keep.

But the one thing that made leaving easier was the increasing green that filled his view as he left the desert area and made his way further into Duscae.  That, and the rain clouds he could see in the distance.  Aside from his regular hikes, he wasn’t often afforded the opportunity to spend this much time in this type of environment.  It wouldn’t be much longer of a drive to Alstor Slough, and almost as soon as he passed through the old Imperial blockade, it had begun to rain.

“Oh…shit.”  Gladio scrambled to put the top of the convertible up.  It may have been May but a change of season would never stop the rain from falling out here.

This was the start of his actual plans for his journey.  All he wanted to do was walk around the slough a bit and take pictures of the trees and lush landscape he had missed (although he had decided to dedicate a few hours to this), before heading off to the chocobo post.

He drove along with the view of the green grass and the green of the tall trees he’d been waiting to see for years again now to keep him company.

Just about another mile more, and he was finally at the gas station.  Though it hadn’t been a very long drive, Gladio took a second to stretch once he exited his car.  He remained underneath the awning to snap a picture of the storefront. 

“Made it.”  He sent the picture to the rest of the guys in the group chat, and made sure to send a quick text to his father about arriving.

But the slough was calling him, and he walked to the edge of the awning just until he could feel a light drizzle from the rain hit his arms.  He looked past the street in front of the gas station, to the green tree covered grass that sloped down, leading to the bodies of water that several catoblepas still called their home.

No matter that the rain hadn’t even reached its full potential yet, he would just take a quick walk around and then head back up to Kenny’s for lunch.  He had made sure to pack one of his outdoor coats for this exact reason.

Gladio rummaged through his trunk and pulled out the dark green parka.  It had enough pockets for him to choose from to safely store his camera and was thick enough for the colder weather, but what mattered the most to Gladio at that moment was that it was waterproof.  Gladio zipped the coat up, pulled the hood up over his head, and made his way across the street and closer to the slough.

A mist settled over the tops of the trees, ambling closer and closer to the ground and chilling the air as Gladio walked on.  He kept on the path that led towards a small cabin and silo on the left side of the lake.  Back then they had just assumed it was a hunter’s cabin, but even Prompto peeking in the windows hadn’t really confirmed their suspicions. 

Gladio took his chance to snap a few pictures of the colossal catoblepas trudging along in the water just a few yards away.  His favorite shot was of one further in the distance, the giant arches that ran from one side of the slough and up and over to the other side of the highway, loomed over it in the distance.  Dark rippling water filled the foreground of the picture and the sky was a dark grey, just waiting for the rain to start pouring.  Gladio loved having the opportunity to photograph such huge creatures, but he knew well enough not get too close even though they would not attack unless provoked.

He continued his walk among the green, at ease, but a part of him still on guard for aggressive beasts.  This was his time to relax, but he still needed to be aware of any danger.  Gladiolus had been waiting for this moment for a long time; as he walked along the rain became stronger and everything around him grew more and more verdant.  He had longed to be among the trees again, among the green, green grass and plants and flowers he didn’t know the names of.  Now he could stay as long as he wanted and not only for a weekend or however long an extended holiday afforded him.  He could take his time on his walk on a path carved through the trees just for him.

Being outside when the sun was shining down in glorious rays through the tops of trees was something he enjoyed, but being out in the rain where he was able to clear his head; the tranquility among the rain hitting the leaves and ground around him was the experience he preferred. 

Gladio walked along until he realized he had come across one of Noct’s favorite fishing spot.  He took a picture of the dock; he could remember Noctis making them all wait outside late into the evening just so he could catch a certain type of catfish like it was yesterday.  They never complained of course (maybe Prompto complained a little), but it was rainy and they didn’t even have umbrellas.  For Noctis’s part, he never even flinched, completely focused on his task and remained unbothered by the pouring rain.  When the right fish finally reared its head, Gladio had been glad that it wasn’t so big that Noctis couldn’t carry it himself.  Gladio never argued, but jumping into suspect water to grab large fish hadn’t exactly been discussed with him during his training days.

Gladio smiled to himself, remembering the many and _long_ times they spent standing around while Noctis fished.  It was only his second full day of vacation and he already missed being around those guys.  His friends.

He decided he would try to call Noctis on his walk back up to the rest area.

After he took more pictures of the wood, of course.

*

By the time Gladio finally reached the chocobo outpost the sun was on its way to setting.  It had taken him a little longer than he planned to stop exploring the slough and get back on his way, but the pictures he had taken and memories he had gotten to relive made it all worthwhile.

“Hi,” he happily greeted Wiz after all these years.  “I don’t know if you remember me…”

Gladio mentally kicked himself.  He thought about how he needed to stop going around introducing himself like that.  After all, was he so important that these people who had only met him a few times years ago would remember him?

“Hmm…”  Wiz looked Gladio up and down, seeming to take his question into consideration.

“Maybe.  Might need you to remind me first, though,” the old man laughed and pat Gladio on the shoulder.

“Of course,” Gladio went for a more natural, honest approach.  “I was actually part of the group that came through with Prince Noctis on his tour of Lucis a few years ago.  You helped us out a bunch back then.”

“Ah right, you!  Couldn’t forget y’all stopping by and helping us out with those behemoths, now.  You must be the King’s Shield, right?”  A thoughtful glint shone in the man’s eyes.

“Thanks to you all, business has been smooth sailing and the chocobos have never been happier.”  The old man nodded. 

“We really owe y’all quite the debt.  Say, you hungry?  Come on, it’s on the house.”

“You guys still serving that big sandwich?” Gladio asked without missing a beat.

Gladio wasn’t one to turn down a good free meal.  He remembered the giant sandwich on the menu from long ago; it definitely wouldn’t be the worst early dinner.

While he waited for his food and while he still had daylight, he took his chance to snap some pictures of the big yellow chocobos in the pens to the side of the gift stand.  Gladio tried to ignore the smell that was currently filling his nostrils.  He never forgot when Prompto had described the smell of chocobos as “a good kind of bad smell.”  It had been far too accurate especially after all of the rain the area had seen earlier in the day.

“Visiting some old feathered friends.”  He sent the picture to the rest of the guys. 

“I’m so jealous dude.”  Prompto replied before he had even been able to lock his screen.

Gladio laughed to himself about Prompto, but not for long as Wiz yelled over to let him know his food was ready.  He looked over to the table to see a familiar sight, like something from his dreams.  The large sandwich sat carefully on the plate; veggies that were stacked upon meat, stacked upon bread, stacked upon even more meat, were calling his name. 

Since there were other visitors about, Wiz had largely left Gladio to enjoy the sandwich by himself, only stopping by towards the end to ask how the food was.

“It was _amazing_.  Just how I remembered it,”Gladio said while patting his stomach.

“Good to hear,” the old man smiled.  “Now, how ‘bout a chocobo ride?  Before it gets too dark out here?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Gladio agreed.

“Now this one here…”  Wiz began as they walked over to the pen.  “Her name is Neige…means ‘snow’ cause she was born during the winter.  She’s a lovely little thing, one that really likes being out at night so don’t be shy to go out running as far you want.”

Gladio reached up to pat the large bird on the side of her neck, in response she leaned into his hand, making a soft squawking noise.  At least Gladio had always had better luck petting chocobos than Noctis ever did.

“I think she likes you already.”

“Well, here we go,” he said as he carefully climbed onto the saddle on her back and took the reins in his hands.

“I guess we’re off then.”  Gladio gave a nod to Wiz.

“Be careful out there,” said Wiz.

“Let’s go, buddy.”

Gladio hadn’t planned to go for a very long ride.  But he did know if he kept close to the rocks in the center of the woods near the post, he’d eventually end up back at the slough.  He thought it might be nice to see the setting sun over the water as well.

It was nice to be off his feet for this outing.  It wasn’t until he had sat down for dinner earlier that he realized how much of a toll the earlier hike had taken on his body.  Now he could enjoy the outdoors and the passing scenery without having to exert much effort.

The setting sun filtered down through the leaves of the trees Gladio and Neige made their way under.  The last remaining rays of the day glittered at the corners of his eyes, just barely disappearing when he dared to turn his head and look right at them.  They rode as far as the path he had found in the dirt would go.  When it ended Gladio decided to guide the bird towards the road as there were barely any cars driving through.

They rode just past the curve in the road with all of the trees Gladio had been dying to photograph and he cursed himself again for leaving the camera in the car.

“ _Next time_ ,” he thought to himself.

The speed of the chocobo was unmatched and Gladio found himself nearing the lake much faster than he anticipated.  He guided the bird towards the direction of the slough, over the guardrail and back into the wooded area.

Gladio halted the bird for a second so he could look at the water again.  He stopped, taking in the scene in front of him.  The sun, now free from the rain clouds that had obscured it earlier, was making its last appearance over the lake before resting again.  The pink and orange hues of the sunset were reflected below, shining over the lake and mixing in with the usual dark hues of the water.

His moment was only interrupted when Neige moved forward suddenly and squawked, throwing him out of his thoughts.

“You’re ready to go, huh girl?” he chuckled.  “Guess I won’t get to take many steady pictures then.”

“Wiz was right when he said you liked running around.”

She ran at full speed along the shoreline and just far enough towards the road leading towards the gas station that he had a better view of the arches.  But she didn’t stay in one place very long and before he knew it, they were making their way back towards the woods, among the trees once again.

Since Gladio didn’t want to be out very late this night and was already starting to feel tired from his dinner, he was happy to let the bird wander where she wanted.  Though it seemed the chocobo was ready to head back in the direction of the post.  The sun had set even further, and even with the help of his flashlight it was getting harder to see along the way.   Gladio was perfectly fine heading back at the prodding of his feathered friend.

Soon they were among the lights of the post once again. 

“Nice riding with you.”  He patted the chocobo on the side and handed the reigns off to the attendant at the pens.

The sun was just moments from fully setting, but Gladio had intended on heading into the caravan to get ready for bed.  He walked up to Wiz who was sitting at one of the tables in the patio area to tell him goodnight, but before he could speak the old man beat him to it.

“Say Gladiolus…” he began, “you a beer drinking man?”

Well, there was another thing Gladio found hard to turn down.

 *

Gladio sat up in bed and rubbed his face as his alarm blared even though it was smothered beneath blankets.  Thankfully Wiz hadn’t kept him up too late the night before, knowing he had to be back on the road the next day.  But of course Gladio would never get a full night’s sleep since he wanted to get a run in before he left.

But he didn’t mind an early morning run and this time he had a little extra incentive to get going.  There was of course the beautiful backdrop, but Gladio had been thinking of that specific spot along the road he wanted to photograph.

He quickly got up, barely avoiding hitting his head on the roof of the caravan and got ready to head out.  He never knew when exactly he’d get to work out while on a trip, but he knew packing the black tank top and athletic shorts had been a good idea.  He opened the blinds of the small window and bright sunlight filtered in, lighting up the small space.  This was already turning out to be a good idea. 

Once outside Gladio quickly did some stretching and warmups and then he was ready.  He started jogging slowly on the side of the road.  The sun shone down on him but the air was cool from all of the previous rain, and a breeze provided a nice resistance on his skin as he ran along.  There were only a few cars on the road that early, so he didn’t have to be too careful about straying towards the middle of the road.

He really only ran as a last resort when he couldn’t make it to a gym.  His legs were starting to feel tired but he had reason to keep going, and eventually he came up on the curve in the road with trees so thick on either side that he couldn’t see through.  It was the impenetrable wall of green he’d always wanted to photograph.

Since there were no cars coming he could take his time.  He brought his phone out of his pocket, carefully centered the image in the screen and took the picture.

“Wish I had brought my real camera out here.”  He didn’t hesitate in sending the picture to Prompto.

Gladio wasn’t exactly sure how long of a run this was, but he had already worked up a good sweat and it had to be enough if he jogged all the way back to the outpost.

He couldn’t have been running for a whole minute when his phone began to buzz again, the continued buzzing that let him know it was a phone call.  He stopped running long enough to see it was none other than Prompto.

“Hello?” he asked confused.  It was pretty early for Prompto to be up.

“Hey buddy,” Prompto spoke softly into the phone, followed by a yawn.

“Oh,” Gladiolus chuckled.  “What’s got you up so early?”

Gladio broke into a jog again now that he knew Prompto hadn’t butt-dialed him.

“Late night shoot that went _way_ into the early morning,” Prompto replied.  “Figured I’d call since you’re the only one who’s obviously awake…uh, hopefully it helps me stay awake.”

“Yikes,” said Gladio.

“How much longer do you think you’re gonna be there?”  He asked through huffs.  It probably wasn’t the smartest idea for him to jog and talk on the phone, but he wasn’t about to stop.  He could just about make out the sign for the Chocobo post from his current spot, anyway.

“We probably won’t be done until noon,” Prompto let out another yawn.

“ _Poor guy_ ,” thought Gladio, as he continued to breathe heavily into the phone.

“Say…dude…” Prompto sounded confused. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Prompto asked.

“On…a…jog,” Gladio breathed out. 

“Oh thank god,” said Prompto, his voice sounding raspier than before.

Gladio rolled his eyes.

“Those are some nice trees, though…” Prompto immediately followed up.

“Yeah…they are.  Hey Prompto…” Gladio’s lungs were burning.  “Hold on a sec.” 

He brought the phone away from his ear and groaned at the amount of sweat on the screen, wiping it off with his shirt.  He would have to remember to sanitize it properly later.

Gladio really did want to talk to Prompto, but he needed to take a break.  The little amount of talking he had been doing in the cool air was making it slightly harder for him to breathe and he needed to stop.  He took a second to rest by the side of the road and try to catch his breath.

But just as soon as he had stopped he felt the tell-tale signs of rain.  He had only just noticed the sun had disappeared behind clouds.  It had gotten too peaceful.  The breeze that had soothed his hot skin started to get even colder.  He could even smell it.  The scent of coming rain was in the air, poised to fall.

“Prompto, I think I’m gonna have to call you back,” Gladio spoke into the phone, his breath now regained.

“Meh, it’s just as well.”  Prompto laughed as best he could through his tiredness. 

“I think they’re about to ready to start again.  I’ll see ya Gladio.  And hey, send me more pics!”

“Gotcha,” said Gladio.  “Bye.”

As soon as he hung up Gladiolus sprinted in the direction of the caravan.  He cursed himself for even thinking he wouldn’t make it as the first drops of rain started to hit the top of his head.  It didn’t matter how close he was or how fast he was running, he was no match for the endless rain. 

His shirt was quickly soaked, becoming uncomfortably cold and clinging to him, inching up with every step he took and every movement he made.  At least his shorts were slightly looser than his shirt, but that didn’t stop them from becoming stuck to his thighs and running up as he got closer to the caravan.  His hair had already been wet from the run but was now out of its ponytail and starting to revert back into its long waves.

As soon as he had gotten the door of the caravan open he whipped off his soaked tank top.  He ran a hand through his hair, shuddering at how wet it felt to the touch.  Drops of water slid across his torso, causing him to shiver.  These caravans didn’t have heat and he needed to find a towel fast. 

Gladio caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror as he made his way to the bathroom.  It was hard to miss this image of himself; flushed from the unintentional sprint and shiny from the mixture of sweat and rain that washed across his skin.  He just needed a quick shower and to say goodbye to the chocobos and then he’d be back on the road.

Gladio felt around in the pocket of his shorts for his phone.  He wiped it off with a napkin and examined it for any damage the rain might have caused.  He unlocked the screen, made sure that apps still opened and the keyboard responded before he was satisfied, but didn’t put the phone away just yet.

He carefully aimed it at the mirror.  After all, he had just gone for a run, adrenaline was still flowing through him and his muscles were showing up just right on screen.  He posed as casually as he could manage, a smirk playing at his lips, and took the picture. 

Just from the waist up for now.

“It might come in handy.”  He laughed to himself before heading into the shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah that last scene just kinda...happened lol.  
> As always, thank you so much for reading if you made it this far.


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